Longtime judge was known for his integrity

In the late 1970s, when the Illinois Supreme Court formed a Judicial Inquiry Board to look into judicial conduct, they appointed two sitting judges to the board. One of those was the Hon. Walter P. "Jerry" Dahl.

Judge Dahl's statewide appointment came near the end of his 21-year career on the bench, and it confirmed what family members knew all along, that he was a judge of integrity, intelligence and common sense.

Family members now are reflecting on his legacy in light of Judge Dahl's death on Monday. The former 30-year resident of Arlington Heights and 25-year resident of Rolling Meadows was 85.

Judge Dahl grew up on Chicago's North side, and attended Northwestern University Law School on the G.I. Bill after serving in the Marines during World War II.

He worked in private practice from 1948 to 1962 with the Chicago firm of D'Angelo, Dahl & Geocaris, handling mostly transactional law and representing municipalities, including Niles.

In 1962, he was elected a judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County. Family members note that at the time, he was the youngest judge ever elected in Illinois.

"My dad was a product of the Depression and of poverty," says his son, Jim, of Winnetka. "Being a judge gave him all the things he wanted in life, it was a challenging job and it gave him a sense of status and security."

His judicial assignments included serving in Criminal Court until 1966, as presiding judge of the Juvenile Court from 1966 to 1969, in the Chancery Division from 1969 to 1976, and as presiding judge of the Probate Division from 1976 until his retirement in 1983.

Upon his retirement, Judge Dahl joined his son's firm, Dahl & Bonadies in Chicago, where he made the successful transition back to private practice. Now back on the other side of the bench, his son notes, he was a litigator, handling contested matters like trusts, wills and probate.

"He was an old-fashioned kind of lawyer," his son adds, "who was a vigorous advocate for his clients."

Judge Dahl practiced as a lawyer until the mid-1990s when he retired, but his legacy continues to be felt in Chicago. Not only his son, but son-in-law, Louis Schroeder of Mount Prospect, and two grandchildren, Patrick and Ryan Dahl, all are practicing attorneys.

Besides his son, Judge Dahl is survived by his daughter, Janet (Louis) Schroeder of Mount Prospect, three grandchildren and one great granddaughter.

Funeral services for Judge Dahl will begin at 10 a.m. today at St. James Church, 831 N. Arlington Heights Road, Arlington Heights.